The Herscher Project: Face to Face

 Chris has belonged to an online writer’s group called The Herscher Project for a number of years now. The name comes from the town of Herscher, Illinois, where one of the group’s founders, Jim Bowers, lived. Jim has moved north to Michigan, but we managed to meet up with him in Kalamazoo, Michigan for dinner on our way to Chicago. After Comic Con, we headed south to spend a few days in Mascoutah, Illinois with Deb Cullins Smith, another Project member. Chris had never met Deb face-to-face before, so it was a great treat. En route, we actually stopped in Herscher for lunch and a photo-op in front of their town mural. We look forward to catching up with another Herscherer (Herscherite? Herschergonian?), Jamie Hughes, in Atlanta later this month. We love meeting up with people with whom we’ve become acquainted online (or on the radio, when we're afloat)!

 

Additional Midwest Sights

Okay, sorry for the crack about all the corn (though I’m not taking it back, because there really is sooo much corn). We’ve come across some really cool sites in the Midwest, too. We visited the Field Museum in Chicago and saw Sue, the largest, most complete T. rex skeleton ever found. In Kankakee, IL, we visited a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house, and sought out the quilt art on nearby barns. And in Mascoutah, IL, we were introduced to the Bee Hollow Market and the Jo-Al Winery, where we sampled some of the local products (but not corn). Delicious!

Driving Through the Midwest

Corn to the left...

...corn to the right

...and occasional soybeans

Corn, corn, corn. Corn on the cob, popcorn, corn chowder, children of the corn…we feel inundated. We’ve never seen so much corn out here where the corn fields extend from horizon to horizon.  Oh, and there are some soybeans, too.

Chris is outstanding in his field...

Unconventional Conventions

Chris with all his books...

...famous people.

Summer is convention time, and we added a new one this year: Chicago Comic Con. This makes two Midwest cons, so we’re spending a few weeks out here. After Comic Con we attended Gen Con Indianapolis. We attended Gen Con for the first time last year, and it was a great success. This year was just as good, selling lots of books, seeing old friends and making new friends. Next week is DragonCon, August 31-September 3 (Labor Day weekend) in Atlanta. We’re going to be exhausted by the end of the cons, but they’re a lot of fun, so it’s worth it. If you’re in the Atlanta area, stop by and see us at DragonCon!

...and fantastic costumes

I LOVE Cape Cod

National Seashore beach

Linda and Karen at Truro Vineyards

Mom and Patti

Every summer, my mother, sisters Linda and Karen, and cousin Patti head down to Patti’s condo on the cape for a weekend. When I’m lucky, I’m around to go with them. This was a lucky year. We enjoy each other’s company, see a show (this year’s was Ain’t Misbehavin’), check out the antiques shops and other attractions, and have magnificent home-cooked meals. What a terrific time!

A luscious breakfast

Conventions, Here We Come

Summer is convention time, and we added a new one this year: Chicago Comic Con. Chris got an invite to have a table in Artist Alley, so we’ll be setting up shop there August 9-12. Gen Con is next, August 16-19 in Indianapolis. We attended Gen Con for the first time last year, and it was a great success. Not only did we sell lots of books and make new fans, but it was at Gen Con that Chris approached Paizo about writing for them, and now he’s already turned in his first Paizo novel! He certainly recognized and acted on that opportunity! Last but not least is our steady DragonCon, August 31-September 3 (Labor Day weekend) in Atlanta. We’re going to be exhausted by the end of the cons, but they’re a lot of fun, so it’s worth it. If you’re in the area, stop by and see us at a con!

Back in the U.S.A.

Chris and sister-in-law Ellen sampling Ellen's newest homebrew

Chris, Anne, and sister Dianne squinting into the sun

Well, well, well. How badly I have been neglecting my blog! But I find that happens every summer when we come back to the states. We’re off our routines, visiting with family and friends, getting ready for conventions, and driving…a lot. So far, we’ve flown from Trinidad to Florida, bought a car that we hope will get us around for three months, visited friends in Tampa and St. Pete, driven to Maryland to visit cousins, driven to Massachusetts and New Hampshire to visit family, and driven to Illinois in preparation for our first convention (more about cons in the next blog). Also, Chris flew to Oregon to visit his family while Anne visited in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, we’re so busy that we just don’t think to take out the camera, but we have managed to get a few shots in.

Sister Linda congratulating niece Lauren after a good field hockey game